Retractable web separator

ABSTRACT

An apparatus (31) and a method are disclosed for temporarily separating multiple webs (51,53) while performing an operation (123,125,133) thereon, including the feeding of multiple webs (51,53), the provision of a retractable web separator (68) for temporarily separating the webs, the performance of an operation (123,125,133)) upon the webs, the provision of a gripping device (65) for gripping the webs and assisting in moving the webs (51,53) along a predetermined path (83), and the provision of a sealing device (71) for sealing the webs together to form a package seal (73). The retractable separators (68) are mounted on a conveyor (83) and each separator (68) in turn temporarily separates the webs (51,53), for insertion of a port (45), fitting or the like, whereupon the separator (68) may be retracted and the port (45) may be sealed into the packages (41) being manufactured. The preferred separator (68) has a shaped head (170) on the end of a reciprocating shaft (158). The head (170) may be enlarged and may have a tapered end (171) for insertion between the webs (51,53).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the handling of two or more sheets or webs ofplastic, e.g., for the manufacture of plastic bags.

The present invention is directed to an apparatus and process for usinga retractable web separator in order to permit insertion of ports,fittings, or the like between the webs during the manufacture ofarticles such as bags or the like. The invention will be described inconnection with the momentary separation of plastic webs for insertionof ports to be sealed into medical storage bags although the inventionis not limited to any particular bag or package. Plastic medical storagebags are known in the art, and have been used for medical purposes forstoring blood, infusion solutions, or the like. Such bags typically arefilled with a liquid or the like and are provided with at least oneoutlet in the form of a port or a tube member. A storage bag having sucha tube member is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,516,977 issued to Herbert.

Plastic bags typically are formed in a quasi-continuous series, with thewebs being moved through various stations including an unwind station, asealing station at which ports are introduced and the seals are made, acutting or severing station to cut the bag from the webs, and bagtransfer and discharge stations. The webs are gripped from oppositelongitudinal edges by clamps or grippers on endless bands which grip thewebs and then pull webs along through the various stations. After one ormore bags have been formed in the sealing operation, the bags areadvanced or indexed forward and fresh webbing is fed into the sealingarea.

When the plastic bag is to be provided with one or more ports, itgenerally is necessary to insert the ports between the webs prior tosealing the webs together to form the bag seal around the perimeter ofthe bag and around the ports. The webs typically are separated by apermanent separator placed upstream of the seal station, providing a gapfor insertion of the ports. In the prior art, the gap decreasessubstantially linearly as the webs travel from the permanent separator(where the gap may be expressed as a predetermined dimension "S") to thelast-formed seal (where the gap is zero). Because of this geometry,there have been limitations on the size of the ports and the closenessof the ports to the previously formed seal. The prior system has beenanalyzed by the inventors, and it has been determined that the systemmay be expressed mathematically as follows: S=(P+C)×L/L*, where S is thegap between webs as measured at the permanent or stationary separator, Pis the outside diameter of the port to be placed closest to thepreviously formed seal, C is the total clearance desired between theport and the webs (including both top and bottom clearance), L is thelength between the permanent separator and the previously formed seal,and L* is the length between the port and the previously formed seal.For a given length L, there are limitations on the size of the permanentseparator, because a large separator creates a steep angle of inclinefor one or both webs, thereby increasing stress on the webs and thepossibility of damage or breakage of the webs, particularly as thesealing dies engage and possibly stretch the webs. Thus, physicalconstraints inherent in the geometry and components of the prior artsystems result in limitations on the size of the port P and thecloseness of the port to the previously formed seal.

Other factors making it difficult for a web separator to provide a largeenough gap at the desired location for insertion of a given port includethe operation of the sealing equipment, which may be in the form of aseal press operated by radio frequency, thermal dies, or the like. If aseparator is too close to the dies when the dies are closed for sealing,the separator can be damaged or destroyed and, similarly, the dies andthe plastic webs can be damaged or broken. A turret, turntable, andmandrels may be needed for the insertion of ports, but again, thisequipment and its operation require substantial space, further limitingthe use of a separator in close proximity to the area where ports areinserted. Nevertheless, it would be desirable to provide a web separatorwhich may be placed as close as possible to the previously formed seal,but which will not interfere with other equipment and operations in thesame area.

Clamps, grippers, or carriers for conveying the webs must be placed inprecise locations close to the sealing press and the port ejectingequipment, requiring further precious space in the area where it wouldbe desirable to place a separator. The articulation of clamps mayrequire complex mechanisms to open and close the jaws thereof. Thenormal mechanical stretching and play in the endless belt or chain andthe other components makes it difficult to stay within the requiredtolerances. A novel carrier for improved conveying of the webs isdisclosed herein, but regardless of the conveying mechanism selected, itwould be desirable to provide a web separator which may cooperate withoperation of the endless belt as well as the clamps, grippers orcarriers.

Still another problem to be confronted with regard to the prior art isthe problem of static electricity. The mechanism of bringing multiplewebs together in close proximity results in the likelihood of abrasivefriction, particularly if die profiles or leading edges are used tocreate separation between the webs for insertion of the ports. Abrasivefriction, in turn, causes static electricity, contributing to thedifficulties of material handling. It would be desirable to provide aweb separator that does not add substantially to the static electricityproblem, and that may alleviate the problem to some extent by reducingthe need for abrasive die profiles or leading edges.

In the manufacture of plastic bags from webs, it is desirable to provideflexibility with regard to the method, the apparatus, and the product orproducts. It also is desirable to minimize product costs, which includesminimizing the amount of scrap material. A novel retractable separatormay result in less scrap material, e.g., by permitting ports to beintroduced closer to the previously formed seal and thus permitting thebags to be closer together with less scrap in between the bags.

The prior art methods and apparatus have limitations and deficiencies,regarding the provision of a web separator which will provide anadequate gap for the insertion of ports at the location desired, withoutinterfering with other equipment and operations being performed in thesame area. These limitations and deficiencies result in increasedcapital, operating, and maintenance requirements and costs, and inreduced productivity.

Thus, it is an object of the invention to overcome one or more of theproblems of the prior art.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel retractable webseparator for use in formation of packages from plastic webs and toapparatus and methods using the same. Other objects of the inventionwill become apparent from the specification (of which this background isa part), as well as the claims and the drawings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, upper and lower webs or sheetsare kept more uniformly spaced apart not only at the rear (upstream) endseal location for the plastic bag, but also adjacent the forward(downstream) end seal location for the plastic bag. This is achieved bythe use of a retractable web separator at the forward seal location thattravels with the webs holding them parallel and apart adjacent thedownstream seal location until an operation, such as the insertion ofports between the webs, is accomplished, after which operation theretractable separator is removed from between the webs. Herein, theretractable separator travels with the webs at their travel speed toallow insertion of ports close to the downstream seal location and toallow insertion of multiple ports including one of these ports closelyadjacent the downstream seal location. The separator may be paired witha movable carrier and travel in endless path with the carrier and may beinserted between the webs while the webs are traveling. Alternatively,the separator may be inserted during a momentary pause in the forwardmotion of the webs. The separator may be retracted prior to the sealingoperation while the webs are momentarily paused in their formal motion.Alternatively, the separator may be retracted while the webs aretravelling, but preferably before the dies are closed. In either case,the separator may continue to travel with the pallet until it againreaches the vicinity of the seal station in the next cycle of theendless belts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an elevation view of the retractable web separator of theinvention, shown mounted on a pallet;

FIG. 1A is an elevation view of the apparatus for manufacturing plasticbags;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the apparatus taken along lines 2--2 ofFIG. 1A;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged portion of FIG. 2 in order to more clearlyillustrate the seal station area of the method and apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the apparatus taken along lines 4--4 ofFIG. 1A;

FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 3, except that it shows the apparatus at adifferent phase in the manufacturing cycle;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the apparatus taken along lines 6--6 ofFIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is similar to FIG. 3, except that it shows the apparatus at thephase in a manufacturing cycle when the seals are being formed;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the apparatus taken along section lines8--8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the apparatus taken along lines 9--9 ofFIG. 3;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of the apparatus taken along lines 10--10 ofFIG. 5;

FIG. 11 is similar to FIG. 10 except that it shows the apparatus at asubsequent phase in the manufacturing cycle;

FIG. 12 is a sectional view of the apparatus taken along section lines12--12 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 13 is similar to FIG. 12 except that it shows the apparatus at asubsequent phase in the manufacturing cycle;

FIG. 14 is a plan view of a pallet provided with a carrier and aretractable separator, an elevation view of which is provided in FIG. 1;

FIG. 15 is similar to FIG. 14 except that it shows a pallet without aretractable separator;

FIG. 16 is an end view of the pallet shown in FIGS. 1 and 14;

FIG. 17 is an elevation view showing a typical button assembly;

FIG. 18A is a plan view of the carrier of the invention shown with abutton seal being formed;

FIG. 18B is similar to FIG. 18A except that it shows the carrier and theseal after the seal has been formed;

FIG. 18C is similar to FIG. 18B except that it shows the seal havingbeen formed off-center with respect to the carrier opening;

FIG. 19 is an elevation view of a typical lower button assembly;

FIG. 20 is a plan view of a novel carrier;

FIG. 21 is an elevation view of the carrier shown in FIG. 20;

FIG. 22 is a plan view of a typical plastic bag formed in accordancewith the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the invention, an apparatus 31 and method forhandling multiple plastic webs 51,53, FIG. 1A, make use of a novelretractable web separator 68, FIG. 1.

An apparatus 31, FIG. 1A, making use of separator 68 for forming plasticbags 41 or similar articles will be described with reference to themanufacture of plastic bags 41 having applicability to a wide range ofuses, including medical purposes, e.g., for receiving and/or storingblood, transfusion solutions, sterilizable parenteral products, ordialysis fluids. The present invention is not limited to any particularbag or package.

In the art, the layers of plastic can be referred to as "webs,""webbing," "sheets," "sheeting," or "films," and, in this application,the aforementioned terms will be considered as interchangeable unlessclearly intended otherwise.

The specification, claims, and drawings of the commonly assignedapplication entitled, "Multi-Web Carrier," (inventors Severs, et al.)filed on the same date as this application, are incorporated byreference as if fully reproduced herein.

A typical plastic bag 41, FIG. 22, which may be of a standard threeliter size and shape, or such other size and shape as may be desired.The bags 41 may be provided with one or more outlets 43 in the form ofports or tube members 45. Since the bag 41 may be suspended with thetube member 45 at the bottom 47 to enable the contents to flow outeasily, edge 49 opposite the tube member(s) 45 may be provided with anopening 50 into which a hook like securing member of a stand or the likemay be introduced to secure or position the bag 41. A bag seal 73 isshown around the perimeter of the bag.

It will be understood that the invention is equally applicable to themanufacture of various types of packages or articles 41, or of a productstill in the form of a continuous web, formed from multiple webs 51,53or sheets of plastic material. The web material preferably may bepolyvinyl chloride (PVC), or it may be another plastic material capableof extrusion.

The apparatus 31 as shown in FIG. 1a is essentially a modulararrangement, making use of various stations as shown, and permittingflexibility in the design, layout, and operation of such stations, aswell as possible incorporation of other stations, equipment, oroperations.

The apparatus 31 forms packages from a pair of webs 51 and 53 that areprovided from a supply or unwind station 55 and travel therefrom around(above and below) a stationary separator 121 to a sealing station 69 atwhich seals 73 are made to join the webs and to form the package. As thewebs enter the sealing station, retractable separator 68 is insertedbetween the webs to enable ports to be inserted. Carriers 65 on endlessbelts or bands 83 are brought into engagement with the webs to carry thenow formed bags forwardly to a cutting or severing station 91 at whichthe bags are separated from the remainder of the webs. The bags aretransferred from the cutting station 91 through a transfer station 97 toa discharge station 96 at which the bags are discharged.

As the traveling webs 51 and 53 enter the sealing station 69, it ispreferred that the webs be at a precise elevation and that the grippersor carriers grip the formed package at precise locations relative to theseals 73, outlets 43 or hook openings 50 so as not to interfere with theformation of the seals 73 or the insertion of the ports or tube members45.

In accordance with the present invention, the apparatus 31 is providedwith retractable web separators 68 which are inserted between the websin order to provide sufficient separation or clearance between the websfor insertion of ports 45 at the desired location, which may permit theports to be larger and/or closer to the previously formed bag seal thanwould be the case without the separator.

Basically, the retractable web separator 68 is a device which keeps twoor more layers of material separated. Preferably, it is an intimate partof the material handling system provided by apparatus 31. The separator68 keeps the webs separated by the desired gap or distance, at thedesired location, for the desired period of time, to allow any type ofoperations to be performed between the layers of material. The separatorcan be retracted when the operations are finished or when the separationis no longer needed. The advantages of the retractable web separatorinclude the capability of inserting ports, fittings, or the like betweenthe webs in close proximity to obstacles such as a previously formedseal between the webs. The use of the retractable web separator lessensthe amount of separation required from an upstream stationary separator.

In general, the separation required at both the stationary separator 121and the retractable separator 68 may be expressed as S=P+C, where S isthe separation, P is the outside diameter of the largest port to beinserted between the separators, and C is the total clearance betweenthe largest port and the webs. This example assumes that both separators(stationary and retractable) are of equal breadth, which is preferredfor the embodiment shown, but other variations are possible and arewithin the scope of the invention.

The use of the retractable separator 68 of the invention permits aminimum amount of separation between the webs 51,53 and the operatingmechanisms, which is desirable because it reduces stress and abrasion onthe webs. In particular, it is desirable to keep the webs relativelyflat for engagement by the sealing dies, because as the angle betweenthe webs and the horizontal plane increases, there is an increasingpossibility of breakage or damage to the webs as the upstream edges ofthe dies contact the webs and force them into substantially horizontalalignment between the die surfaces. The required separation at thestationary separator 121 is reduced by the factor of L/L*, where L isthe distance between the stationary separator 121 and the previouslyformed seal, and L* is the distance between the closest port and thepreviously formed seal. The presence of the retractable separator keepsthe layer apart and from sagging.

The retractable separator 68 prevents abrasion on the material becausethe separator preferably is indexed with the material. The avoidance ofabrasion, in turn, minimizes breakage or damage to the material, andfurther minimizes the accumulation of undesirable static electricity.

The retractable separator of the invention permits simple motions of theoperations performed between the layers of the material. The separatorallows direct access between the layers by simple in-and-out motion atany given time desired. Moreover, unlike the prior art, there is no needto synchronize the motion of the webs and the mechanisms performing theoperations in the preferred embodiment of the apparatus and method. Thisis because preferably the retractable web separators, the grippingdevices, and the webs themselves all are operatively connected to a pairof endless belts, thereby automatically providing synchronous motion forthe aforementioned components of the system.

The retractable web separator 68 permits access to operate on all sidesof the webs as well as in between the webs. The layers of material staysubstantially parallel to each other and the direction of indexing ormovement.

The retractable web separator 68 of the invention may be mounted on apallet 67, FIGS. 1 and 14. The separator 68 preferably includes a head170 with a tapered nose 171 for insertion between two or more webs, asdiscussed in greater detail below. The separator 68 also may be providedwith a separator shaft 158 which, in turn, is mounted on andreciprocates through secondary plate mandrel 160. Detents 162 areprovided on separator shaft 158, for engagement by the plate mandrel160, in order to maintain the separator shaft in a selected position.The separator head 170 is mounted on one end of the separator shaft 158,while the other end of the shaft is provided with a secondary push plate159, for engagement by a pusher and/or a retractor. The plate mandrel160 is mounted on two primary shafts 147 and 149, see FIG. 14, which inturn are mounted on and reciprocate through plate mandrel 167, byengagement of primary push plate 145. The pallet 67 is adapted to bemounted on an endless belt 83, FIG. 1a, by cog pin 173, with bearings105 adapted for travel on a track attached to framework 175. Theseparator pallet 67 may also be provided with, or operate in conjunctionwith, a clamp, gripper or carrier for conveying the webs. The pallet 67may be pulled by the endless belt 83 while the pallet is being guided bybearings 105 travelling along a track 107 mounted on frame 175. In thepreferred embodiment shown, pallet 67 is provided with a novel carrier65, also designed for insertion between the webs, having an opening 81through which the webs may be sealed together to form a carrier seal forconveying the webs, FIG. 14. The retractable web separator 68 may bemade from a suitable material which may be a metal such as steel. Itsdimensions will depend on the size of the webs being handled, the sizeand location of ports, fittings, or the like to be inserted between thewebs, the dimensions of the articles to be formed, and the positioningof the pallets and other components of the apparatus 31. In general,however, it may be desirable for the diameter of separator head 170 tobe about 30-40% larger than the diameter of the ports to be inserted, toallow adequate clearance.

The apparatus 31 also is provided with clamps or grippers or,preferably, with carriers 65 (FIGS. 18A-C) which advance the webs 51, 53and the bags being made from the webs. The carriers 65 are insertedbetween the webs prior to the webs being sealed and the carriers remainbetween the webs after the seals 73 are formed. The carriers 65 do notinterfere with such package seal even though the carriers are stillbetween the sealed webs and the carriers are later disconnected frombetween the webs without interrupting the bag seal 73 formed between thewebs. This is achieved by inserting the carriers into peripheral areas51a,53a of the webs (FIG. 4) exterior of the package seals and forming acarrier seal 75 portion adjacent the carrier against which the carrier65 bears to carry the now formed package and webs forward in theirtravel, FIG. 3. The carriers 65 on opposite sides of the webs pushagainst the upstream sides of the carrier seals as the endless bands 83transport the carriers forwardly from left to right as viewed in FIG. 1.The carriers have edges 79 that push on adjacent, abutted edges 70 ofthe carrier seals to pull the webs from the left to right as viewed inFIGS. 18A-C.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, separator 68 is anintegral part of the material handling apparatus 31, keeping the websseparated at the desired location and allowing any type of operations tobe performed between the layers of material. The web separator may beretracted when the operations are finished and/or when the separation isno longer needed.

The carriers 65 need not be precisely positioned relative to the webs51, 53 because during formation of the carrier seals 75, the plasticmaterials of the respective webs extrude outwardly to engage the carrieredges 79 even though the carrier edge may not be precisely positioned.This is important where the carriers are carried along a long, endlesspath and travel through different planes than the webs travel; and thepositions of the carriers may vary slightly relative to the fixedlylocated sealing assembly 77 (FIG. 1a) that extrudes the plastic carrierseals. As best seen in FIGS. 18A-C, the preferred carrier sealing isdone by a thermal sealing assembly that forms a generally circular sealthat extrudes outwardly radially to form an annulus or peripheralportion 80 about a central portion 82 of the carrier seal 75. That is,the carrier seal is formed with a central portion 82 of a diameter lessthan the diameter of the opening 81 (FIG. 18A-C) defined by the edge 79on the carrier and the plastic extrudes across the annular space to abutthe edge 79 of the carrier.

The illustrated apparatus will now be described in greater detailreferring to FIG. 1a and to FIG. 2, in the area generally designated asthe seal or press station 69, several operations are performed includingthe introduction of a retractable web separator 68 and the carriers 65between the two webs 51,53 in the area of the dies 61,63, as will bediscussed in further detail below. The use of these novel devices mayeliminate the need for die profiles or leading edges sometimes used tocreate a gap between the webs, which also may eliminate significantabrasive friction and resultant static electricity. The carrier 65preferably is thin, simple, and non-articulating. One or more ports 45may be introduced between the webs 51,53 to provide ports in thefurnished articles. The dies 61,63 of the press 71 are moved together inorder to form a product seal 73, which also may be referred to as anarticle seal, a package seal, or other product seal, depending on thenature of the product to be formed. At the seal press 71, the upper die61 preferably is raised and lowered by a piston 74, while the lower die63 preferably is actuated by a toggle mechanism 76.

At the same time that the package seal 73 is formed, the carrier seal 75is formed by a dielectric button assembly 77 carried on the respectiveupper and lower dies 61 and 63, FIG. 17. The buttons 188 compress thewebs and meet and extrude the webs 51,53, forming the carrier seal 75between the webs. Preferably, the buttons will be sized slightly smallerin outside diameter than the inside diameter of the opening 81 in thecarrier 65, FIGS. 18A-C. In operation, it is preferable to center thebutton in the opening 81, FIGS. 18A-B. Because of the tolerance betweenthe button 188 and the edge 79, the carrier 65 will be operative even ifthe carrier seal is formed off-center with respect to the carrieropening 81, FIG. 18C. The button diameter may be about 50-97% of thediameter of the opening in the carrier head, and preferably may be about70-80% of the diameter of the opening. In the example shown, the buttondiameter is 3/8", while the opening is 1/2".

With reference to FIGS. 1a and 2, the webs 51,53 are conveyed by thecarriers 65 along a predetermined path defined by a pair of endlessbelts 83 for further manufacturing operations, including any desiredoperations to be performed in the optional station designated sparestation 85. For example, the package 41 may be printed, punched, or thelike.

Additional stations may be provided in the apparatus 31 if desired. Theapparatus 31 and method may be used in conjunction with sterile kill,aseptic air fill, or product fill stations, either within the frameworkof the apparatus 31 and method disclosed, or as subsequent operations.

Other apparatus and operations which may be incorporated into or used inconjunction with the apparatus and method of the invention, includecleaning the webs 51,53 by ultrasound radiation and/or by washing withwater or appropriate solutions, drying the webs, sterilizing the webswith ultraviolet rays or other methods, welding portions of the webstogether, radiation cross-linking to improve heat resistance and/or torender inlet/outlet tubes 45 steam sterilizable, filling the interior ofthe webs with fluid either before, during, or after the plastic bags 41have been cut from the webs 51,53, testing the integrity of the bags,and such other apparatus and operations as may be suitable for use withthe apparatus and method disclosed herein. The preferably modular natureof the apparatus 31 permits flexibility in the number, arrangement, anduse of the various stations.

Referring now in greater detail to the unwind station 55, in thepreferred embodiment as shown in FIG. 1a, if the end product is to beformed from two webs 51,53, both webs will be wound onto a single spool111. This is made possible by the original loading procedure onto thespool 111, whereby the two webs 51,53 have been superimposed and woundonto the spool, thereby making it possible to unwind both webs at thesame time from a single spool. A second spool 113 may be used either asa spare spool for when the first spool 111 runs out of material, or as aseparate feed for top web 51, in which case the first spool 111 wouldfeed the bottom web 53. Alternatively, the second spool 113 may beplaced generally vertically above the first spool 111 at the desiredelevation (not shown). Again, alternatively, if three webs are desired,the first two webs 51,53 may be unwound from the first spool 111 and athird web (not shown) may be unwound from a second spool 113. It will beunderstood that as many webs and spools as are desired can be used inthe apparatus 31 of the invention.

Another alternative for the unwind station 55 involves using a singlespool 111 of plastic webbing, but with the material being twice as wideas each of the webs used downstream in the apparatus. The double-widewebbing in this embodiment (not shown) may be processed using a formingplate and a splitting mechanism which may cut the double-wide webbinginto two webs of the desired width, inverting one of the webs, andplacing the webs in the desired facing and substantially parallelrelationship as shown downstream of unwind station 55. Other alternativefeeding mechanisms may be used.

The desired number of webs having been provided from the unwind station55, the webs 51,53 then proceed through one or more dancing rollers 115,FIG. 1a, which serve the purpose of taking up slack, providing thedesired amount of tension, and assisting in achieving the desiredalignment of the webs 51,53. Generally, at least one dancing roller 115is provided for each web. There can be multiple dancers used in thesystem 31, which could involve up to six loops or more. The webs thenare fed through a web alignment sensor 117, which is operativelyconnected to the mechanism of the unwind station 55 and the dancingrollers 115 in order to provide the proper alignment of the webs 51,53.The webs 51,53 then pass on either side of (above and below) astationary separator 121, which provides a separation by a predetermineddistance between the webs 51,53 at a given location in the overallapparatus. A gap having been provided between the webs, the retractableweb separator 68 of the invention and the carrier 65 then are insertedbetween the edges of the webs 51,53 to permit further processing, FIGS.3,4. In the embodiment shown, the apparatus 31 is set up as a "two-up"machine, that is, two plastic bags 41 are formed in each sealingoperation. In such an arrangement, it is preferred to provide an evennumber of carriers 65 and pallets 67 on each side of the apparatus 31.Alternatively, the sealing operation may be performed on a single bag 41at a time, or on three, four, five or more bags 41 at a time. The numberof carriers 65 to be provided in the system 31 may need to be adjustedaccordingly to provide an integer multiple of the number of bags formedin each pressing operation. In the preferred embodiment, shown as atwo-up machine, a separator 68 is provided on alternative pallets 67 onthe port-loading side of the apparatus 31, FIG. 3. Separators are notrequired on the opposite side of the apparatus for the embodiment shown.

At the seal station 69, two pallets 67 on each side of the webs 51,53will be brought into the vicinity of the webs at the desired elevationto insert the respective carriers 65 between the webs, FIG. 2. Aretractable separator 68 will be introduced between the two webs 51,53along the edge where the port or ports 45 are to be introduced.Generally, the separator 68 will define the leading edge of movementbetween the webs, for those pallets 67 in which both a separator 68 anda carrier 65 are provided. When the webs 51,53 have proceeded to thedesired location for processing in the seal station 69, the carriers 65and the separator 68 are inserted between the edges of the webs 51,53,FIGS. 5,6. The desired number of ports 45 then are inserted from aturret mechanism 123 into the gap between the webs 51,53, usually on oneside of the webs, which may involve one port 45 for each plastic bag 41being formed. Alternatively, two, three, four, or more ports 45 may beinserted for each plastic bag 41. For a two-up seal press 71, two ports45 may be inserted into the area of the dies 61,63, with one port 45 tobe provided for each of the two plastic bags 41. Depending on the numberof bags 41 formed and the number of ports 45 in each bag 41, it ispossible to insert as many as twelve or more ports 45 in a singleoperation of press 71. After the ports 45 have been introduced, theseparator 68 will be retracted and then the dies 61,63 will be movedtogether to form the package seal 73 as well as a carrier seal 75 foreach carrier 65 placed between the dies 61,63, FIGS. 7,8 and 12.

The dies 61,63 then are moved apart and the webs 51,53 are moveddownstream to the next indexing location. The process of providing thedesired seals 73,75 and inserting the desired ports 45 is then repeatedat the sealing station 69. The movement of the ports 45 into the desiredlocation and the withdrawal of the turret 123 is known as "ejection."The turret 123, see FIG. 4, may be reloaded with additional ports 45through the use of mandrels 125, at a mandrel reloading station (notshown). Two endless belts 83, one on each side of the webs 51,53, aremoved along sprockets 127 (FIGS. 1a and 2) by a conveyor drive motor131, FIG. 1a.

The pallets 67 are mounted on the endless belts 83, FIG. 1a, and thecarriers 65 and retractable separators 68 are mounted on the pallets 67,FIGS. 14 and 15. Other pallets are provided with only a carrier and nota separator, FIG. 15. Adjacent the seal station 69, and laterallydisposed thereto, is a turntable 133, FIG. 2, mounted on a turret 123,FIG. 4. The turret 123 moves back and forth between a mandrel loadstation (not shown), where tubes or ports 45 are loaded onto themandrels 125 on turntable 133, to the seal station 69 where the ports 45are ejected from the turntable 133 into the webs 51,53. A pushing device135 on each side of seal press 71 is used to push the carriers 65 andthe retractable separator 68 in between the edges of the webs 51,53. Aseparator-retractor 141 also is provided for retracting the separator 68after the ports 45 have been loaded and prior to operating the sealpress 71.

The seal press 71 is operated in connection with a radio frequencygenerator 143, the generator 143 being used to plasticize the webs 51,53and to form them into the desired shapes as provided by the design ofthe dies 61,63. The radio frequency generator 143 preferably is locatednear the seal station 69 and disposed laterally thereto.

In FIG. 4, the seal or press station 69 is shown with the dies 61,63open, and the carriers 65b are shown on each side of the webs 51,53, ina retracted position prior to being moved by the pusher 135 into the gapat the edges 51a,53a of the webs 51,53. Similarly, a separator 68a isshown on the port-side of the webs 51,53 into which ports 45b will beejected. The turret 123 is shown in the retracted position. At thereturn track approaching the top of the seal station 69, one may observethe separator 68c and the carriers 65c in the retracted positions. Thebags 41 have been removed at the bag transfer station 97, FIGS. 1 and 2.On the return track shown at the top of FIG. 4, the carriers 65c carryscrap material 101 to the scrap removal station 103, where the scrap isremoved by grippers 102 and the carriers 65 are retracted by carrierplacement cylinders 104 and carrier catcher positioners 106, while theseparator 68c is extended relative to the pallet 67.

In operation of the seal station 69, the webs 51,53 having been movedinto the desired location for sealing, the separator 68a is in placebetween the webs 51,53 at the peripheral edges 51a,53a, and at thedownstream edge of the dies when the webs are stopped, FIGS. 3, 4 and 9.The separator 68a provides a predetermined gap between the web edges51a,53a. The inserted separator 68a being upstream of the package seal73a formed during the previous cycle allows sufficient space between thewebs 51,53 to permit the ports 45b to be introduced at the desiredlocations, which may involve larger ports and/or locations closer to theprevious package seal 73a than would be the case without the separator68a. The ability to insert ports 45 in close proximity to previouslyformed package seal 73a is significant because it reduces the amount ofspace needed between die operations, and hence, reduces the amount ofscrap material.

Turning to FIGS. 5, 6, and 10, in the gap provided by the separator 68abetween the webs 51,53, the ports 45b are introduced into the gapbetween the webs. Although the separator 68a and ports 45b desirably areinserted at the same elevation, it is desirable for each pallet 67 to bedisposed away from the ports 45 and the turret mechanism 123 in order toavoid interference. Here, the bodies of the respective pallets 67 aredisposed at an elevation above that of ports 45b. Carriers 65b andseparator 68b are moved into the inserted position. Separator 68b isinserted immediately upstream of the dies. The separator 68a then isretracted from its extended position, FIG. 11, and the turret 123similarly may be retracted.

Turning to FIGS. 7, 8, and 12, the dies 61,63 are brought together inorder to form the package seals 73b and the carrier seals 75b.

The carrier seal is formed by a pair of upper and lower heat seal diesin the shape of buttons. The upper and lower dies convey heat sealbutton assemblies 183,185 which can be placed into contact with the webs51,53 in the vicinity of the carrier 65 by bringing the dies 61,63together. The illustrated button assemblies are dielectric heaters inthe form of small block shaped bodies 186 (FIG. 19) with a web engagingpad 188 to engage and compress the plastic. An upper cylindrical end 190on the button assembly is fastened to its associated die. The upper web51 and the lower web 53 are sealed around one or more ports 45 by thedies 61,63 while at the same time the carrier seal 75 and the webs 51,53are operatively connected to the carrier 65 by bringing the buttonassemblies 183,185 together along with the dies 61,63.

The carrier 65 preferably is nonconductive, in order to avoid carryingundue heat from the carrier sealing equipment 77 beyond the desiredrange of the carrier seal 75. The material for the carrier may be acomposite material, and preferably is a composite fiberglass phenolicmaterial. The material for the carrier 65 may be selected from the groupconsisting of composite materials, graphite, Kevlar, injection moldableplastic materials, rigid extrudable plastic materials, and metalsincluding brass, titanium and nickel alloy. Other suitable materials maybe used. The formation of the carrier seal 75 extrudes to the perimeterof the edge 79 of the opening of the carrier 65 even if the carrier isslightly misplaced with respect to its expected location, FIG. 18C. Thepaired button assembly 77 acts as a fixture to locate the carrier seal75 in relation to the carrier 65, and also in relation to the webs51,53, the package seal 73 and the ports 45. This spatial relationshipis also important in other operations performed downstream such ascutting. Moreover, the use of a lightweight, thin, compact, and flexiblecarrier 65 assures that in the event of a web jam or other malfunction,the possibility of the dies 61,63 closing upon a misaligned carrier 65will not seriously damage the expensive dies 61,63. Moreover, thecarrier 65 is inexpensive and easily replaceable. The use of anon-metallic material may be advantageous in order to avoid interferencewith radio frequency generation, and in order to avoid problems withsealing operations, particularly dielectric sealing in close proximityto the carrier 65.

A flat or substantially flat profile for the carrier 65 is desirable inorder to squarely contact the web material and to avoid scratching orbreaking the material. The carrier 65 may have a shaped head 66, FIG.20.

The shaped head 66 preferably has a circular shaped opening 81 therein,with the opening being continuous with a gap 81a in the end 66a oppositethe end 64 at which the carrier is mounted on the pallet 67. The gap 81apreferably is smaller than the diameter of opening 81, such that acarrier seal 75 may be retained within the opening while the webs 51,53are travelling downstream, but the carrier seal 75 may be slippedthrough the gap 81a by retracting the carrier away from the webs and/orby moving the carrier seal away from the carrier. The gap dimension maybe about 50-97% of the diameter of the carrier opening, and preferablyis about 55-70% of said diameter.

Other designs for the carrier 65 and the carrier seal may be selecteddepending on the particular application.

After sealing has been performed, FIGS. 7,8 and 12, the dies 61,63 areopened, FIG. 13, and the webs 51,53 are moved along downstream by thecarriers 65b. Separator 68b will travel with the adjacent carrier 65band their associated pallet, along with the webs, from the upstream edgeof the dies to the downstream edge of the dies. The webs are nowoperatively connected by carrier seal 75b to the carrier, and thereby tothe associated pallet and to the endless belt. The process is repeatedin the next indexing cycle, FIGS. 3, 4, and 9.

The operating cycle in the vicinity of press station 69 will bedescribed in greater detail in connection with FIGS. 9-13. The top web51 and bottom web 53 pass around permanent separator 121 and proceedbetween the top die 61 and the bottom die 63. The webs 51 and 53 arepulled into the die region and two packages will be formed for eachoperation of the dies. It will be observed that separator 68a creates agap of a predetermined distance between webs 51 and 53 permittinginsertion of ports and carriers between the webs.

During the preceding sealing operation, the two bags 41a shown to theright of the dies 61,63 in FIG. 9 were formed. The carriers 65a areshown sealed in their respective positions with package seals 73a ateach lateral edge of bags 41a, and with carrier seals 75a engaged by thecarriers.

With the webs 51 and 53 separated, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, two ports45b, two carriers 65b, and another separator 68b are inserted betweenthe webs 51,53 at the edges thereof as shown in FIG. 10. The separator65b is inserted immediately upstream of the sealing dies, so that itwill not interfere with the sealing operation.

Then, as shown in FIG. 11, the separator 68a is retracted from betweenwebs 51 and 53, thereby permitting webs 51 and 53 to collapse slightly,usually towards each other. The retraction of separator 68a from closeproximity to dies 61 and 63 prevents interference therebetween in thenext step.

In order to form the packages, the dies 61 and 63 are moved together asshown in FIG. 12 thereby forming package seals 73b and carrier seals75b. The package seal 73b surrounds ports 45b and to this end groovesare formed in the dies 61,63. At the same time, carrier seals 75b areplaced in the webs in the openings in carriers 65b, using the buttonassemblies provided for that purpose.

After the sealing operation, the dies 61 and 63 are separated, leavingnewly formed package seals 73b, carrier seals 75b, and ports 45b nowbeing incorporated into plastic bags 41b as shown in FIG. 13. Carriers65b are now operatively connected to webs 51,53. The cycle may berepeated by again advancing webs 51 and 53 to the next indexing positionwhile simultaneously advancing separator 68b from immediately upstreamof the dies, as shown in FIG. 13 to the downstream edge of the dies, asshown in FIG. 9. The method then may be repeated as described above.

As an alternative to the embodiment shown, it is feasible to insert thecarriers 65 and the ports 45 in a separate operation, or even a separatestation, prior to the operation of the seal press 71 and the radiofrequency generator 143 forming the bag seals 73. This alternativepermits injection molded ports or fittings to be cleared of possibleocclusions by a mandrel which can be brought in between the webs 51,53from the web edges opposite the ports prior to the formation of bagseals 73.

Turning now to FIG. 14, a plan view of the pallet 67 provided with thecarrier 65 and retractable separator 68 of the invention is shown. Thecarrier 65 and separator 68 are extended to their fully operativepositions by engaging the primary push plate 145 thereby extendingshafts 147,149 through bushings 151,153 in primary plate-mandrel 167provided for that purpose. The shafts 147,149 are provided with detents155,157 for engagement by a brake 161 operated by means of a spring 163.The carrier 65 is mounted onto the pallet 67 with dowels 165 and bolt166, or other suitable fastening means. The carrier 65 is quickly andeasily replaceable by removing dowels 165 and bolt 166, and replacingthe carrier 65, the dowels 165 and the bolt 166. The retractableseparator 68 has a shaft 158 which is extended into the operativeposition by engagement of the secondary push plate 159 forcing theseparator shaft 158 through a secondary plate-mandrel 160 until theseparator 68 is fully extended relative to the pallet 67. Preferably,the extension of separator shaft 158 and separator 68 relative to pallet67 takes place at scrap removal station 103, FIG. 4. The separator 68may be held in the selected position, whether extended or retracted, bydetents 162 in the separator shaft 158 engaging the secondaryplate-mandrel 160. The separator 68 preferably is provided with a head170 having a tapered end 171 which is shown in the preferred bullet-noseshape with a tapered end 171 in order to provide a certain and smoothentry between the webs 51,53. Alternatively, the end 171 of theseparator may have a duckbill shape (not shown) or another shape adaptedfor insertion between webs 51,53. The head 170 of the separator 68should have a diameter larger than the ports 45 to be inserted betweenthe webs 51,53, preferably 30 to 40% larger than the diameter of suchports.

In the embodiment shown for a two-up press, it is unnecessary to providea separator on every pallet; therefore, alternative pallets on the portside of the webs are provided with a carrier only, FIGS. 3, 15. On theopposite side of the webs, no retractable separator is necessary becauseno ports are introduced on that side. Accordingly, the pallets on thenon-port side are provided with carriers only and may be mirror imagesof the pallet of FIG. 15. See, e.g., FIGS. 2 and 3. It will be observedthat retractable separators may be provided in whatever locations may bedesired for a given manufacturing set-up.

The preferred means to attach the pallets to the endless cog belts 83 isin the form of a cog pin 173, FIG. 14. The cog pin 173 is connected tothe cog belt and the cog pin pulls the pallet 67 along with the groovedwheels or rollers 105 on the carrier rolling along upper and lower edgesof an endless, stationary guide bar 175 on the machine frame.

It will be observed that in operation, the ports 45 to be loaded betweenthe webs 51,53 are loaded in the same plane as the separator 68 andcarrier 65, which in the preferred embodiment is below the plane of theprimary shafts 147,149. The specific geometry and orientation of thecarrier 65 and separator 68 and the related pallet components are amatter of design choice and may be modified without departing from thespirit of the invention.

Referring again to FIGS. 1a and 2, the carriers 65 grip and move thewebs 51,53 from the seal station 69 into the cut station 91. At the cutstation 91, the article, package or bag 41 may be cut or separated fromthe webs 51,53. Preferably, the separation or cutting may be performedby an ultrasonic cutting unit 90 bearing two knives 93, see FIG. 1a. Atthe cutting station 91, if ultrasonic cutting is performed, the articles41 may be drawn into the desired shape by a lower vacuum plate 99 in theform of the articles, prior to cutting. At the cut station 91, thecutters 93a of the ultrasonic knives 93 may be moved into position by acarriage 74-mounted upper plate 98, while the lower vacuum plate 99 maybe mounted on and moved into position by a piston 100. The ultrasoniccuring unit 90 preferably is provided with the ability to move along atleast three axes, through the use of multiple carriages, and also isequipped with a rotating motor, thereby providing considerableflexibility with respect to cutting patterns. Alternatively, theseparation or cutting may be performed by a die cutter, tear seal, orthe like. At the cutting station 91 or at another station, an opening 50may be formed in the bag 41 along the edge 49 opposite the tube members45, FIG. 24. The carriers may be retracted by pusher/retractor devices135 at the cut station 91 similar to the pusher/retractors 135 providedat seal station 69. The components of cut station 91, as well as othercomponents in apparatus 31, may be equipped for numerical or computercontrol.

The article 41 may be removed from its operative connection to theendless belts 83 at transfer station 97 by a suction-cup or other typeof gripper 92 which may elevate the article 41 slightly and then placeit downwardly onto an off-load conveyor 95 at discharge station 96. Thebag transfer station 97 preferably is intimately sequenced with the cutstation 91. Other mechanisms and methods for transfer and discharge ofthe articles also may be used. It will be understood that alternativelythe product 41 may be left in the continuous webbing for subsequent use,e.g., as a multi-layer web, or as a continuous web of plastic bagsseparable because of tear seals, or perforations or the like.

Assuming, however, as shown in FIG. 1a, that the finished article 41 iscut out of the webs 51,53 at the cut station 91 and is transferred atstation 97 to discharge station 96, there normally will be a piece ofscrap material 101 which remains operatively connected to the carrier 65and which will continue to move with the carrier 65 and pallet 67 alongthe endless belt 83 until the scrap 101 is removed at a scrap removalstation 103, FIGS. 1a, 4. The use of the carrier 65 and separator 68permits efficient use of the webs 51,53 with a minimum of scrap, suchthat the scrap material may be reduced by as much as 1 to 11/2% or moreas a percentage of the total web material. A large part of the savingsis due to elimination of most of the scrap between adjacent dieoperations. The actual percentage of scrap material for a givenoperation will depend on the design of the articles 41 to be produced aswell as the design of the dies 61,63 and the other components, notincluding scrap generated as a function of equipment malfunction,operator error, material defects, specifications or tolerances, andother parameters. It will be understood that in the event that thefinished articles 41 can be formed without any waste materialwhatsoever, there will be no scrap material 101 and hence no need for ascrap removal station 103. Generally, however, assuming that scrapmaterial 101 is present after the cut station 91 and the bag transferstation 97, the carrier 65 will proceed with the scrap 101 to a scrapremoval station 103 where the scrap 101 will be removed from the carrier65, FIGS. 1a, 4.

The scrap 101 may be removed from carrier 65 by grippers 102 which graspthe scrap, FIG. 4. The scrap 101 is held in place by the grippers whilecarrier placement cylinders 104 and carrier catcher/positioners 106retract carriers 65, thereby slipping carrier seals 75 through gaps 81ain the carriers. Desirably, the carrier placement cylinders 104 willplace the separator 68 in the extended position relative to the pallet67 leaving the scrap removal station 103, with the pallets 67 in theretracted position. The pallet 67 and its components thus will be inproper position for engagement by pusher 135 in the subsequent sequenceof seal station 69, FIG. 3. At the scrap removal station 103, FIG. 4,the scrap 101 may be dropped by the grippers 102 onto a conveyor (notshown) for transport to a receptacle (not shown) for disposal or recyclematerial.

Preferably, the retractable separators 68 and the carriers 65 areremovably mounted on pallets 67, and the pallets are removably mountedon a pair of endless belts 83.

Preferably, each endless belt 83 is a steel-impregnated cog belt of suchsize and strength to suit its purpose, pre-stressed to avoid unnecessaryslack or stretch in the system, in order to assure precise, accurate,and repeatable movements of the parts associated with the belt 83throughout the system 31. Alternatively, other suitable belts, chains,or the like may be used. Each pallet preferably has four bearings 105,see FIGS. 1 and 16. As shown in FIG. 1a, the bearings 105 travel along atrack 107 and along each of the four corners 109 of the track the radiusof the track is undersized so that only three of the bearings 105 willbe in contact with the track 107. In the straightaway portions of thetrack 107, all four bearings 105 of the pallet 67 will be in contactwith the track, thereby providing such rigidity and stability of thepallet as may be desired.

Alternatively, the retractable separator 68 and/or the carrier 65 may bemounted directly or indirectly onto belt 83, or a chain, or the like.

In accordance with the invention, bags 41 may be manufactured in avariety of sizes and shapes, for example a standard three liter bag maybe produced. Bags may be fifty milliliters or smaller, five liters orlarger, or any size in between. Similarly, the sizes and shapes fortubes or ports 45 may be selected or designed as may be suitable for thedesired application. A typical bag 41 produced in accordance with theinvention, is shown in FIG. 22.

The invention may be used with films or webs 51,53 of one or morematerials selected from the group including polyvinyl chloride (PVC),polyamides, polyethylene, and polypropylene. Polyvinyl chloride ispreferred, but blends may be used or coextruded materials may be used,or other thermoplastics also may be used. Thermal sealing, dielectricsealing, ultrasonic sealing, or other sealing technology may be used toseal the webs together. The invention is applicable to laminated filmswhich may include two or more layers selected from the aforementionedmaterials. Inlet/outlet tubes 45 may be made from a variety ofappropriate materials such as hard PVC, polypropylene, polyamides,polycarbonates, polyesters, polyacrylates and the like and/or copolymersthereof and styrene-containing copolymers thereof, ethylene vinylacetate (EVA) tubing, or rigid polycarbonate ports with EVA bondingsleeves. The material for the tubes may be any material that is capableof extrusion or molding. The preferred material for tube members 45 ishard PVC. Depending on the use, the tube or port members 45 may be rigidor they may be flexible. In addition to the uses disclosed above, theinvention may also be used in a variety of other medical andpharmaceutical applications, for containers of chemicals, solutions andthe like, in the manufacture of complex or multi-layer films or packagesfor food and non-food applications, for frozen food packaging, forhygienic applications, and in other applications making use of multiplewebs of plastic materials.

It will be understood that the present invention while illustrated inconnection with specific examples described above and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings is not limited to those examples or thosedrawings, but is to be given its full scope as defined in the spirit ofthe accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for manufacturing an article formedfrom multiple webs with a seal formed between the webs, the apparatuscomprising:a guide for guiding the webs and for spacing the webs; aconveyor for conveying the webs along a predetermined path of travel toa sealing station; a sealer for sealing the webs together to form a sealat the sealing station; a retractable web separator for temporaryinsertion between the spaced webs to provide a gap between the websadjacent the sealing station; means for transporting the retractable webseparator in the direction of web travel and for travel to a locationadjacent the sealer station; means for inserting the retractable webseparator between the spaced webs to provide the gap between the websfor performance of an operation in the gap between the webs and forwithdrawing the retractable web separator from the gap between the websat a location adjacent the sealer; and means for performing theoperation in the gap between the webs.
 2. An apparatus in accordancewith claim 1 wherein the retractable separator comprises a reciprocatingshaft and a shaped head on the shaft for insertion between the spacedwebs.
 3. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the guidecomprises a stationary separator for spacing the webs, and theretractable web separator has a size to maintain the webs substantiallyparallel between the stationary separator and the retractable webseparator when the retractable web separator is inserted between thespaced webs.
 4. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein themeans for transporting the retractable web separator comprises anendless carrier for carrying the retractable web separator along anendless path of repeated travel to an upstream position for insertionbetween the webs and to travel downstream towards the sealer station. 5.An apparatus in accordance with claim 4 including a drive for theendless carrier to move the endless carrier and the retractable webseparator at a travel speed matched to the travel speed of the webs. 6.An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the retractable webseparator comprises a reciprocable rod, and the means for inserting andretracting the reciprocable rod comprises a slide carrier and a fluidmotor to slide the rod on the carrier.
 7. An apparatus in accordancewith claim 6 wherein a plurality of retractable web separators areprovided in the form of elongated rods, and the means for transportingthe retractable web separators comprises an endless carrier with therods spaced at equal intervals therealong.
 8. An apparatus in accordancewith claim 1 in which webs are elongated webs to be joined together intoa series of connected bags;the sealer joins the webs together with sealsto form bags at a stationary sealing station; a bag conveyor conveys thebags to a cutting station; a cutter at the cutting station seversindividual bags from the webs at the cutting station to form discrete,separated, individual bags; and a bag transfer mechanism transfers theindividual bags to a discharge station for discharge of the bags.
 9. Anapparatus in accordance with claim 8 including a scrap station at whichscrap remaining from formation of the bags is removed from the conveyor.10. An apparatus for manufacturing an article formed from multiple webswith a seal formed between the webs, the apparatus comprising:a guidefor guiding the webs and for spacing the webs; a conveyor for conveyingthe webs along a predetermined path of travel to a sealing station; asealer for sealing the webs together to form a seal at the sealingstation; a retractable web separator for temporary insertion between thespaced webs to provide a gap between the webs adjacent the sealingstation; means for transporting the retractable web separator in thedirection of web travel and for travel to a location adjacent the sealerstation; means for inserting the retractable web separator between thespaced webs to provide the gap between the webs for performance of anoperation in the gap between the webs and for withdrawing theretractable web separator from the gap between the webs at a locationadjacent the sealer; and means for inserting a member into the gapbetween the webs and adjacent the retractable separator.
 11. Apparatusfor manufacturing an article formed from multiple webs comprising:meansfor supplying multiple webs having elongated edges; gripping meansdisposed on opposite lateral sides of the webs for gripping thelongitudinal edges of the webs; a conveyor for carrying a series ofgripping means in an endless path and for conveying the webs gripped bythe gripping means; means for inserting a retractable web separatorbetween the edges of the webs for providing a predetermined gap betweensaid edges and for retracting the web separator from between the plasticwebs; means for inserting a member into the gap between the websadjacent a sealer station; and a sealer at the sealer station forforming an article seal between the webs and adjacent the member.
 12. Anapparatus in accordance with claim 11 wherein the conveyor also carriesa series of retractable web separators in an endless path.
 13. Anapparatus in accordance with claim 11 wherein the retractable webseparator is inserted upstream of the sealer and is retracted before thearticle seal is formed.
 14. An apparatus in accordance with claim 13wherein the retractable web separator travels along with the webs insubstantially the same direction and at substantially the same speed asthe webs during the time that the separator is inserted between thewebs.
 15. An apparatus for forming bags with ports from a pair ofplastic webs, said apparatus comprising:a guide for guiding the pair ofwebs face to face into a sealing station; a sealer at the sealingstation to fuse the webs to form seals between the webs to form bags; aninserter for insertion of at least a port into position between the websto be sealed by the sealer to the webs and to the package being formed;a retractable web separator for separating the webs by a sufficient gapand for a sufficient period of time for the port to be inserted betweenthe webs; a conveyor for transporting the webs; opposed gripping meanson the conveyor for insertion between opposite longitudinal edges of thewebs for gripping the webs and moving them forwardly; and a cutter forcutting the bags to form individual discrete bags to be transferred to adischarge station.
 16. An apparatus in accordance with claim 15 whereina means carries the web separator forwardly toward the sealing stationto travel with the webs; anda discharge means at a discharge stationtransfers the bags for the discharge thereof.
 17. An apparatus inaccordance with claim 15 wherein reciprocators carry the retractableseparator for rectilinear insertion travel into a space between the websat the sealer station and for retraction travel prior to sealing.
 18. Amethod of manufacturing a product formed from multiple webscomprising:feeding the webs into facing relationship with one another;inserting a retractable separator between said webs to space the websapart for making the product; gripping said webs with a carrier to movethe product being formed forward; performing an operation in the spacebetween the webs; retracting the web separator from between webs;forming a product from the webs; discharging the product; anddisconnecting the carrier from the webs.
 19. The method of claim 18wherein there are two webs.
 20. A method of manufacturing a packageformed from multiple webs comprising:feeding the webs into facingrelationship with one another; providing a retractable web separator toseparate the webs and a gripping device to grip said webs; inserting aport between said separated webs; retracting the web separator; sealingthe webs together to form a package seal; moving the webs and thegripping device along a predetermined path; cutting the sealed webs toform a package having a seal around a substantial portion of itsperimeter and having a port; and disconnecting the gripping device fromthe webs.
 21. The method of claim 20 including providing a shaped headon the retractable web separator.
 22. A method of manufacturing anarticle formed from two webs comprising:feeding the webs into a facingrelationship with one another; inserting a retractable separator betweensaid webs to provide a predetermined distance between said webs;inserting a member in between the facing surfaces of said webs;retracting said separator; sealing said webs together; and cutting anarticle from said webs in the vicinity of said seal.